Helena Lang dips a toe into the world of sea cruises with a trip around the Med that’s filled with ancient and architectural wonders.

Never been on a cruise holiday? Always been tempted to try? You’re not alone. According to research, nearly 2.3 million sea cruises were taken by UK and Irish passengers in 2023, and 2024 shows no sign of this slowing down. There are a lot of misconceptions about cruise holidays, and often a lot of snobbery. But there are cruise companies and cruise ships for everyone, from the well-heeled who want non-stop luxury, to the more budgetfocused who want a family-friendly break.

And while it’s a fact that cruises are more popular among older travellers, a recent survey showed that 30% of 16-to-24-year-olds are interested in taking a sea cruise in the next five years, so things are beginning to change. In fact, most of the people we meet on our P&O cruise around the Med seemed to prefer shaking their booty at the top-deck silent disco late into the night, rather than slipping off to bed early with a hot cuppa and a biscuit.

The P&O brand has a distinctly British feel about it, from our captain’s chummy Derbyshire accent that greeted us over the Tannoy system every morning with a weather, location and itinerary update, to the Union Jack design that forms part of the livery on Azura, our ship. There’s no doubt that this is very much home away from home for most of us.

DECKED OUT

Our week on board had kicked off with a flight to Malta, where the transfers to the port were slick and well organised and the boarding process friendly and easy. Like everyone else, we stocked up at the duty free shop that precedes the gangways for cabin drinks that we could keep in our own mini-fridge. We’re here to relax, enjoy ourselves, make new friends and see a bit of Europe we haven’t explored before, and we might as well kick that off with a G&T.

The first 24 hours were spent at sea – the perfect opportunity to get our bearings on the Azura. There are four pools (admittedly tiny, more for dipping in than doing a Duncan Goodhew impression), 22 restaurants and bars (ranging from the classy Indian restaurant Sindhu, to Venezia, the self-service open-all-hours buffet on the top deck) and eight entertainment venues, most of which have a holiday camp vibe, which appealed particularly to the large family groups on board.

Quite quickly you learn which bits suit you and your tastes best. For us, it was an easy buffet breakfast in the sunshine outside Venezia, a spot of sunbathing by the adults-only Oasis pool by the spa, a healthy-ish salad-based lunch back at Venezia, and a slap-up supper at one of the restaurants that charge a supplement on the basic cruise price – but were worth it for the quality food. Highlights for us were the ‘fisherman’s hanging kebab’ at the casual Beach House al fresco restaurant and the deliciously rich curries at the aforementioned Sindhu

ANCIENT ADVENTURES

But we weren’t here just for the food. We had deliberately joined the cruise in order to visit some of the Greek islands and historical destinations that we’d missed over many years of Crete, Corfu and Skiathos-bound holidays. And a multi-destination cruise is the perfect way to tick off some of those bucket-list boxes.

The first was on day three – and we awoke as Azura dropped anchor at Mykonos. Stylish, fashionable and postcard perfect with its Persil-white buildings, iconic windmills and cobalt-blue paintwork, Mykonos town brims with lifestyle boutiques, welcoming tavernas and cocktail bars. But the minute we set foot on land we were rounded up by our small, mature, characterful and, as it turned out, charismatic female guide onto a boat and we headed off to Delos. This is one of the smallest islands in the Aegean Sea, but one of the most special when it comes to mythology and history.

Regarded in ancient times as the birthplace of Apollo, god of the sun and light, and Artemis, goddess of the moon and night, this world heritage site was a prosperous trading port and first settled in the third millennium BC but has been uninhabited since the 7th century AD. The whole island is a fascinating and fabulous archaeological treasure trove, and our guide brought its history and legends to life while simultaneously feeding the stray cats that haunt its columns, doorways and mosaics.

More history was discovered when we arrived in Athens (via Chania in Crete) two days later. Forgoing a trip to the Acropolis, we instead joined a coach party heading to ancient Corinth with another equally qualified and masterful female guide. Here the ancient sites are just as atmospheric: there’s the grand Temple of Apollo, dating from the 6th century BC; a fascinating museum, mosaics and ancient theatres. Most moving for me was the agora (the marketplace), where Saint Paul worked from 51 to 52 AD, living with a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, and helping them make and sell tents and awnings. Corinth is where he wrote his letters to the Thessalonians, and as someone who was brought up a Roman Catholic and who attended mass every Sunday, seeing the stones he would have walked on and the views of the coastline he must have gazed upon was very grounding.

BARBECUE ON BOARD

The trips weren’t all history lessons, however. The most fun was a boat trip at our final Greek island stop, Santorini. Having heard off-putting tales about the crowds that stuff the small streets of Fira, the queues for the cable car to the village, and the sad faces of the donkeys who offer an alternative mode of transport, we had decided instead to take a catamaran trip that headed across the azure waters to various little snorkelling stops. With views back towards the croissant-shaped island and its white villages carved into the rock, this was surely the best way to see the island. It was a magical day, fuelled by wine and an on-board barbecue. One that made us glad that we had joined the millions that are sampling cruise holidays as a way to see more of the world, and grooving along to a silent disco while we did so.

THREE BEST BITES

1. The epic prime fillet steak and grilled king prawns that came sizzling on a hotter-than-hot salt block at The Beach House restaurant on the Azura. The charred outside, the tender inside, all given a flavour boost by the sea salt base.
2. A traditional Greek lunch at Kavos, a harbourside taverna in Mykonos. With the waves lapping the rocks just metres from our table, we tucked into a traditional Greek salad, some dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and chunks of crusty local bread and olive oil. Divine.
3. While on the Santorini catamaran, after a splash about in the sea, the smell of barbecued chicken and lamb drifted across from the grill. It tasted as good as it smelled, and came with delicious flatbreads, tzatziki and salads, with lashings of local white wine.